U.S. Mint says coins depleted...

U.S. Mint says coins depleted, allocating Eagles

NEW YORK, Nov 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. Mint said that all 2008-dated bullion coins, with the exception of the American Eagle gold one-ounce and silver one-ounce bullion coins, have been depleted because of high demand and a lack of coin blanks.

On Oct. 7, the Mint said that it was necessary to focus production primarily on the popular American Eagle gold one-ounce and silver one-ounce coins due to limited blank supplies.

The Mint told its authorized dealers in a memorandum dated late Monday that weekly allocations for the American Eagle gold and silver one-ounce coins would continue, with the final 2008 allocation scheduled for Monday, Dec. 15.

"The quantities of blanks that we have been able to acquire from our suppliers continue to be very limited, while demand for bullion coins remains high. As a result, it is necessary for the U.S. Mint to delay the launch of other bullion coins until later in 2009," it said.

Produced from gold mined in the United States, the 22-karat American Eagles have been novel items among collectors and investors since their introduction in 1986. Each coin has a face value of $50 but it is sold by authorized dealers at a premium to the price of gold